Oh God, retreat!
“No dog, or anything?” I tack on.
Dorian looks down, but I’m certain he’s smiling. “No, no, and no.” Has this man even heard of an open ended answer? I try again.
“I just figured someone as well-off, and handsome as you.” He raises his gaze to meet my eye. It burns into me so hot I almost have to turn away. “Well, you’d think someone would’ve snatched you up by now.”
He leans back, resting his chin in his hands. “Are you married? Boyfriend? Dog?” Oh, he’s a cute one. Using my own tactics against me.
“No, no, and no.” I find myself smiling to spite myself. “But, I do have two cats, and before you say youhatecats, they’re very sweet. They don’t hiss, and they don’t swipe.”
Dorian raises his hands. “I dig cats just fine.”
“Dig, huh?” I say more to myself than to him. “Off the record, Dorian.”
He groans. “I don’t like the sound of that.”
“I promise it’s only to appease my own curiosity, and part of the reason I’m a journalist and a photographer is because I love hearing people’s stories. The real stuff. The shit they don’t want to talk about, but probably need to.”
“Uh-huh.”
“So, I’m dying to know.” I drop any hint of journalistic tone left in my voice. “How does a billionaire end up on the streets?” The tension between us is palpable. Maybe it’s because I know he’s not going to throw me out that I even asked him something so personal in the first place, but I mean it. “I will sign something.” I cross my heart. “I just…well, you’re interesting, and I want to know you.” Oh man, I sound crazy.
“Yeah?” He takes a long, deep breath and I still don’t know how this is going to turn out. “It’s not a nice tale, Thea.”
“I can’t imagine it would be.”
“The truth is, I’m an addict. I’ve been clean for almost seven years.”
“Congratulations.” I interrupt and am met with a warm smile.
“Thank you.” He sinks his teeth into his bottom lip, and takes a moment before continuing. “I was an alcoholic and a drug addict. Having all the money I did didn’t help. I would buy shit for everyone, we’d get totally fucked, and then the rest of the night would fade into a party haze.”
The room around us grows still. I don’t dare move a muscle.
“One night I woke up with a horrible headache. When I reached up to touch my forehead, I pulled back blood. I had no idea where I was until I looked over into the passenger’s seat and saw my girlfriend, still strapped into her seatbelt, unconscious. I didn’t remember running into the telephone pole.”
“Oh my God.” I whisper. “Dorian, I had no idea.”
“It’s okay.” He shakes his head. “Well, it’s not okay, but it happened. Luckily, she was okay. She was fucked up, too. When she was released from the hospital, not pressing charges, thank God, my parents cut me off and I just up and ran away. I couldn’t come to terms with the fact that I’d nearly ruined her life.” His eyes focus on something far away. “That I had a tendency to ruin everyone’s life who I came in contact with. So, I lived on the streets. It wasn’t easy and it wasn’t fun.” He looks up at me, and I’m struck by how much older he looks in this moment, handsome and wise. “But, eventually I wised up, came home and got clean.”
“Wow.” My breathless voice fills the dead space between us. “My father was an alcoholic. Died from it.”
“I’m so sorry.” He says, squeezing the back of his neck. “It’s a shitty disease that most people don’t understand.”
“I do.” I say, and I mean it. This time, when Dorian looks up and smiles at me, I know something’s shifted between us. I’m no longer afraid of my feelings for him. In fact, I’m starting to think I’m stuck in this cabin with him for a reason.
6
Dorian
I’ve never toldanyone that story outside of my family, or outside of a meeting. It feels good to let it out, and to a reporter of all people. But, I trust Thea. It may bite me in the ass, but I can feel it in my gut.
“Your story is amazing, Dorian.” She takes her hair down from its bun. Dark locks fall over her shoulders.
“Tragic is more like it.”
“No, it’s inspiring.” She pulls the blanket off of her legs and moves closer to me. When she reaches out and takes my hand, I freeze. “You’re living proof that you can overcome the odds.”